WILMER JOEL
A new Early Childhood Development office opened last Wednesday at the Ministry of Cultural and Internal Affairs.
ECD Project Director Dr. Pablo Stansbery said the opening of the office was “a new day of delivering services for young children.” The new office, which is a wing of the MOCIA main building in Uliga, will consolidate the birth registration, adoption, Child Rights, and ECD Registration offices into a single “one-stop shop” for families. Stansbery added the ECD project has delivered $3.2 million in assistance to families.
MOCIA Minister Jess Gasper Jr., speaking for the national government, said that a “whole-of-government” effort is essential for improving the lives of Marshallese children.
The minister added that the office is more than infrastructure built of brick and cement; it’s a crucial place where kids can get their legal identity, social rights, and protection.
“As we open this new office today we affirm that no child is left behind,” he said. “That every effort is made to provide the nurturing and care every child in this country deserves.”
President Hilda Hilda and the Minister’s wife, Philma, officially opened the new office by cutting the ribbon, concluding the opening ceremony.